ARCHKRA043 Stone raw materials in the prehistory of Central Europe

Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava
Summer 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
prof. RNDr. Antonín Přichystal, DSc. (lecturer)
prof. RNDr. Antonín Přichystal, DSc. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Antonín Přichystal, DSc.
Institute of Historical Sciences – Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava
Prerequisites
For undergraduate students
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
A brief description of the lectured material Students are introduced to current mineralogical, petrographic and geochemical methods applied in archaeology. Basic data on igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks are given with specific cases of their use in prehistoric times and the early Middle Ages. Rocks for production are discussed in detail of chipped and ground artifacts, grinders, millstones, whorls and methods of their exploitation in prehistoric times.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction to the issue. Definition of Petroarchaeology. Similar research in other Central European countries. Comparative collections of mineral resources - lithotheques. 2. Methods used: archaeological, geological, mineralogical-petrological, physical-chemical. Their characteristic. 3. Overview of igneous rocks. 4. Overview of sedimentary rocks. 5. Overview of metamorphic rocks. 6. Raw materials of chipped artefacts in Central Europe. 7. Raw materials of ground artifacts in Central Europe. 8. Raw materials for other stone industries and dyes. 9. Basic mineral sources of Cu, Sn, Au, Ag and Fe in prehistoric times. 10. Building stone materials, raw materials for lime production, ceramics production. 11. Decorative and jewelry stones, rocks for making millstones 12. Acquisition, extraction and movement of stone raw materials in prehistoric times. 13. Practical examples of stone raw materials, field methods of their determination.
Literature
    required literature
  • Přichystal, A.: Kamenné suroviny v pravěku východní části střední Evropy. Brno 2009.
  • Přichystal, A.: Lithic raw materials in prehistoric times of eastern Cetral Europe. Brno 2013.
    recommended literature
  • Štelcl, J. – Malina, J.: Základy petroarcheologie. Brno 1974.
  • Gilbert, A. S.: Encyclopedia of Geoarchaeology. Dordrecht – Heidelberg- New York - London 2017.
Teaching methods
Lecture, seminar
Assessment methods
Credit. A written test; in addition to answers to theoretical questions, the main purpose of the test is to determine the key stone raw materials used in prehistoric times.
Language of instruction
Czech
The course is also listed under the following terms Summer 2023, Summer 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Summer 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.slu.cz/course/fpf/summer2025/ARCHKRA043